The Susan C. Davis Papers document the work of former American Politician Susan Carol Davis, who served as a U.S. representative of California’s 49th (1 term) and 53rd (9 terms) districts.

The Susan C. Davis Papers date from 1994-2021, with the bulk of the collection falling in the early 2000s. It is divided into 10 series: Congressional Delegation (CODEL) Trip Materials, Co-Signed Letters and Legislation, Congressional Records, Correspondence, Women’s Rights (Primarily in Afghanistan), Team Davis, Constituent Communications and Campaign Materials, Press Materials, Photographs, and Accolades and Artifacts.

Series I, Congressional Delegation (CODEL) Trips (2003-2020), contains materials from trips in which members of Congress travel to other countries to meet with government officials and discuss foreign policy. The series mainly includes travel itineraries, with a few country visitor’s guides and other special event materials. The series is organized chronologically. Most CODEL trips are named for the congress member who led them followed by the country or countries they visited and the date, for example, “CODEL Davis, Afghanistan/Jordan, 2019.” There may be repeating CODEL leader names with different years and countries.

Series II, Co-Signed Letters and Legislation (2001-2018), contains letters to government officials that Susan Davis sponsored, co-sponsored, or “co-signed,” according to Davis’ official files. They are organized alphabetically by topic and chronologically by congressional term, occasionally with repeating letters.

Series III, Congressional Records (1995-2020), begins with 3 folders of California Assembly Legislation from Davis’ time serving in the State Assembly before her election to Congress, followed by records from Congress. These records include voting records of congress members throughout the years sponsored by various organizations, congressional photo directories, and the completed texts of the Patient Protection Act and National Defense Authorization Act. Folders are arranged chronologically with the exception of box 27, which houses oversized legal-length items from this series.

Series IV, Correspondence (2001-2020), includes mail sent to Susan Davis ranging from thank-you letters from the Obamas to birthday cards to official letters from fellow members of Congress. Some letters discuss details of Davis’ personal life, while others are more official and pertain to her career. They are organized by year in ascending order.

Series V, Women’s Rights (2003-2020), details Susan Davis’ women’s rights work in Afghanistan, both with the United States’ military and citizens of Afghanistan, with the exception of Box 30 Folder 4, which details a women’s rights conference in Iraq. There are several “Mother’s Day” trips to Afghanistan in which Davis spent time with troops to celebrate the holiday. Additionally, there are several trips in which Davis and other government officials met with women in government from Afghanistan to discuss the state of women’s rights in the country. The series contains trip materials, reports, itineraries, and other materials pertaining to Davis’ travels to Afghanistan not housed in the CODEL series. The materials are arranged chronologically by year.

Series VI, Team Davis Retreats (2001-2020), documents Susan Davis’ office retreats. This includes binders detailing agendas for staff retreat trips, presentations from retreats, and a photobook of staff over the years with a note written to patrons viewing this collection. The materials are arranged chronologically, with undated materials placed last.

Series VII, Constituent Communications and Campaign Materials (1996-2019) includes e-newsletters, The Davis Dispatch newsletter, and other mail sent to constituents over the years. Additionally, there is a small file of research on Davis’ opposing candidates during election years. The series is organized by material type, and the material types are organized chronologically, with undated materials placed last.

Series VIII, Press Materials (1996-2019) include loose newspaper and magazine clippings, press releases, and compiled press binders that highlight Davis’ work throughout her years in office. Additionally, there are several boxes of VHS and cassette tapes featuring Davis’ television and radio appearances. The individual (loose) files are first, followed by the compiled press binders, with each section arranged chronologically. The audiovisual materials are housed separately at the end of the collection.

Series IX, Photos (2001-2021) contain photographs throughout the years, ranging from photos with interns to photos with various presidents. Additionally, there is a Susan Davis photo album at the end of the series, as well as several oversized photos of Congress housed in flat files. The photos are arranged chronologically, with undated and unidentified photos placed last.

Series X, Accolades and Artifacts contain artifacts from Susan Davis’ career, mostly in the form of certificates and awards or promotional materials. Some highlights include a Susan Davis Wheaties Box, boxing gloves, and promotional campaign potholders.